The Pegasus Sports team’s bid to gain a Pro Continental licence for 2011 has moved to the next level, following confirmation from the UCI that it did indeed receive the necessary documents prior to yesterday afternoon’s deadline.
“I can confirm they have sent a completely new file within the deadline, but I can't say how long it will take to go through it,” UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani told VeloNation this morning.
The news will put the riders’ minds at rest for now, with many of them depending on a successful push by the team to ensure they have a place in the peloton next season. If the team had stopped, it would almost certainly have made things very difficult for some of the riders, given that it would be too late to secure another pro contract for 2011.
Meeting the deadline does not mean the Pro Continental licence is a given, of course; the file will be assessed and a final decision then made.
Pegasus Racing was left high and dry after its main backer walked away, leaving it short on budget and scrambling to find additional funding. Team owner Chris White confirmed yesterday that this money had been secured from one of the existing team sponsors, but declined to say which one had put up the extra cash. Persistent rumours yesterday placed Scott as the most likely source.
The American bike manufacturer declined to comment when contacted by VeloNation, and so it is impossible to confirm the whispers of a $4 million injection.
Meanwhile White said yesterday that he felt an obligation to ensure that everything was done to ensure the team got a Pro Continental licence and could continue. “I'm in the centre of this and I certainly feel a great sense of responsibility. I'm certainly ensuring that we leave no stone unturned,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
White suggested that a decision by the UCI not to give the licence would have major implications, and clearly hopes this is not the case. “I believe all our paperwork and our submission will be back on track [after securing the extra funding needed and getting the bank guarantee]. On the other side, not getting the licence would be catastrophic for us.”
If things do get back on track vis-à-vis that licence, White will hope to secure a wildcard invitation to the Santos Tour Down Under. The team already anticipates participating in the Tours of Langkawi, Qatar and Oman.